


Atlantis

by sharkinterviewee



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Character Study, Earth-2, Earth-2 Westallen, F/M, Fluff, Post-Episode: s02e14 Escape from Earth-2, Supportive Spouses, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, so soft, soft, they're so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 01:36:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21438040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharkinterviewee/pseuds/sharkinterviewee
Summary: “He was rather... inspiring,” Barry admits, disgruntled. He loosens his bowtie before tossing himself onto the armchair, slumping into it like it would swallow him whole.“Was he?” Iris replied airily. “Hadn't noticed.”That earns a chuckle from him, and he shoots her a quick smile over his shoulder, his eyes filled with love and warmth.Then his lips twitch up into a smirk, one of those wicked little things that managed to seem humble and so very clever at the same time. “You reckon he gives speeches like that a lot?”[Earth-2 Westallen in Atlantis after the events of 2x14, discussing the other Barry from an alternate universe who also happened to be a superhero][Or: Iris West loves her husband, Barry Allen loves his wife, and they're so soft for each other]
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West, Earth-2 Barry Allen/Earth-2 Iris West
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	Atlantis

“He was rather... inspiring," Barry admits, disgruntled. He loosens his bowtie before collapsing onto the arm chair, slumping back into it.

"Was he?" Iris replied airily. "Hadn't noticed."

That earns a chuckle from him, and he shoots her a quick smile over his shoulder, his eyes filled with love and warmth.

Then his lips twitch up into a smirk, one of those wicked little things that managed to seem humble and so very clever at the same time. “You reckon he gives speeches like that a lot?”

Her eyes twinkle in amusement. "Bit too good at it, huh? Think he's had some practice?"

Her smile is teasing, him, and they don't have to have been married for five years for him to know she agrees with his assessment, or at least independently came to the same conclusion.

They know each other too well by now. It's like they have their own secret language. They don't need to say anything out loud to have a full conversation. On the same wavelength. Always have been.

Even with the absolute mess their lives had become, everything turned upside down so very quickly. Irreparably. It was just a lot to take in.

Barry shrugs, releasing a deep sigh filled with tension. "Probably comes with the hero territory. Giving out inspiring speeches left and right. An actual hero gave me a pep talk," he smiles ruefully.

It was a bit much.

Being kidnapped and meeting one of your personal heroes who locked you in a room for a day (a day!). Finding out you have a doppelganger from another universe who's now in your universe, who had been masquerading as you for the past 12 hours and kissed your wife.

And oh yeah, he's a superhero. He's that universe's Flash.

Then almost dying several times over by killer frost's icicle shards, getting more field work done than you signed up for as CSI, scaling a cliff via ice, sneaking into zoom's lair, then zoom was actually there, and everyone almost died again.

Then- after all of that- having to leave everything behind (for now).

Iris didn't even get to stay for her father's funeral.

He could still feel that weight, tugging on his heart. She should've been able to say goodbye one last time.

Barry tried to push it out of his mind, though. Focus on the fact that they were here, they were alive, and focus on being whatever Iris needs him to be.

Focus on being there for her.

If that means distracting her from the loss of her father, their life, their home- then he would throw himself into that. Being present. For her.

It wasn't any use dwelling and feeling heartsick over all the things the most amazing person in the world should've had when that person was right here in front of him and hurting now.

It's been a bit better now that the shock's worn off (mostly), and they're starting to settle into whatever it is they have here.

It's still not- normal. But then again, when have they ever been normal?

Figuring things out as they go has pretty much always been their MO.

They've got each other, and that's enough. It's always gonna be enough.

Here they were, almost two weeks removed from everything that happened, still struggling to adapt to the Atlantean heat as they played the part of exiles/tourists, missing Central City like nothing else.

But Barry was able to be all pouty over his earth-B doppelganger who was an actual superhero, and make his wife smile in the process. He was counting that as a win.

Iris crosses the room with all the leisure in the world, sitting in Barry's lap and languidly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Really? Is that how you remember it?" Her lips curve up, her fingers twisting to play with his hair. "Because I seem to remember a despondent speedster trapped in a cell who was telling his friends to leave him behind, because he'd already given up."

His whole face softens at her words, gazing up at her, his expression utterly open. And she remembers what falling for him is like.

When he looks at her with those wide, honest eyes. When he lets her in like this. It means everything to her. Because he was hers.

Truthfully, Barry had almost forgotten about that part.

Not like forgotten, forgotten. Just- adrenaline and encoded memories, you know?

Like he said, they almost died a lot in a very short period of time. That particular scene hadn’t made it much into the play by play he’s been reliving in his head every night.

Her hand moves, resting against the side of his neck now, soft and warm, her thumb stroking his jaw in the most loving thing.

That’s not to mention the way she practically  _ glows _ , her eyes scouring his face, like she’s trying to memorize every detail of him. While he hangs on her every word.

Iris smiles. “I remember  _ my husband  _ walking right up to a superhero who’d already thrown in the towel and giving a speech so inspiring even the Flash had to listen to him.” She’s straight up grinning now, her heart full of love for this foolish, foolish man.

“He’s got nothing on you, baby. Whatever pep talk he gave you, he clearly needed the one you gave him more. I know. I was there. You were the reason he got out of there,” she tells him fervently.

It’s another thing she loves about him. His- not quite optimism, but the way he just believes, earnestly, and with all his heart. Barry believes in the goodness of people, and his unwillingness to accept that there aren’t any other options when even the best case scenario means someone will get hurt is something she’s always admired about him. 

She’s the practical one, of the two of them. But she loves the fact that he doesn’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘there’s nothing we can do’, because by god Barry Allen will figure something out. He could be just as stubborn as her- more than her, in some cases.

Her training was already kicking in once they had found Jesse Wells, and Iris's first priority was the hostage and getting her to safety, even if that meant interrupting the touching father daughter reunion and ushering them out of the cave. They could hug it out on the ground, away from a supervillain's hideout.

When alternate Barry was telling all of them to leave- Iris thought she would have to drag his friend away by the arm. Zoom could be back at any moment, and she wasn't keen on the meta having even more hostages.

Jesse had been missing for months, held hostage by a sadistic monster. Getting her out of there had to be the first priority.

Not-Barry’s friend Cisco was a civilian, even if he was a civilian from an alternate reality. Those were the people she had sworn to protect.

Cisco wouldn’t be able to rescue not-Barry if they all got captured anyway.

Luckily, he seemed to be listening to alternate Barry urging them to leave, because they were already pushing their time. You get the civilians to safety, then you can regroup and come up with a plan.

If he really was a superhero, she was pretty certain alternate Barry was familiar with the routine. Probably why he was begging his friends to get out of there, because he knew the danger they were in just by lingering.

So there they were.

A superhero from an alternate universe, trapped in a cell he couldn't escape from no matter how hard he tried, telling them they needed to get out of there, telling his friends they needed to leave him behind, and her husband- her beautiful, stupid, genius husband- walked right up to him and told him _no._

“I was so proud of you that day,” Iris murmurs, holding his beautiful, stupid face in her hands like he was the most precious thing in the world (because really, he was). “Not because you came with us, or all that reckless risking your life you did,” she adds quickly, because Barry didn’t need to prove anything to her.

She’d really prefer he never did anything close to that dangerous again.

She understood why he needed to do it, for himself, and in case neither of them would be coming back.

And in the aftermath, yes, she could admit she was impressed with him, but that wasn’t what made her proud.

“You didn’t care what some Flash said wasn’t possible. You didn’t care that a superhero had already given up. You marched right up to him, gave him a piece of your mind, and told him that we weren’t leaving without him. More than just some inspiring speech- you gave him hope. And I remember thinking, ‘That’s my Barry’.”

Barry exhales, shaky underneath her.

“Iris-” his voice is thick, cracked, strangled in his throat.

She closes her eyes and presses her forehead against his. “My Barry Allen,” she whispers. “No one else will do.”

Barry nods into her, snaking an arm around her back and pulling her even closer, holding her tight.

And they just... stay like that for awhile, in a quiet little embrace. Didn't need to say anything else. Didn't need anything but each other. They were going to be okay. No matter what.

They were going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm slowly catching up on the series, and last night I watched 2x13 and 2x14 (welcome to earth 2 and escape from earth 2, respectively) for the first time last night  
And I wrote this today
> 
> Even though I've got multiple westallen WIPs that I've been working on just begging for attention, did I do anything with them today? Nope. Wrote something completely new, cause apparently this was the only thing my brain would let me finish.
> 
> Anyways, Iris West hearts a big ol nerd and will kick anyone's ass who makes him feel like anything other than the precious soul he is


End file.
